How to Spend 3 Days in Cappadocia in Türkiye

Cappadocia. A land of fairy chimneys, rock-cut cave homes, churches and underground cities. Where the sky is filled with hundreds of hot air balloons every morning, and the sun paints the landscape in hues of reds and oranges when it sets. It’s no wonder that this place has become one of the most popular destinations in Türkiye. In this guide, we’ll share how to spend 3 days in Cappadocia, including lots of useful information on how to get there, getting around, where to stay, what to eat and when the best time to visit is.

People arrive here from all over the world to enjoy this otherworldly landscape on foot, from the sky or from the comfort of a cave hotel’s balcony. We spent 5 full days in Cappadocia and saw much of the area on foot. So, if you’re also an outdoorsy person like us, then you’ll love this 3-day itinerary. Don’t worry if you’re not a big hiker though, as we’ve also included other activities and tour options too.

If you’d like to see what we got up to during our stay, then make sure to watch our Cappadocia video on our YouTube channel. For more Türkiye videos, check out our Türkiye Series.

About Cappadocia in Türkiye

Cappadocia (Kapadokya) is a huge semi-arid region in the eastern part of Central Anatolia. It covers five provinces: Nevsehir, Kirsehir, Aksaray, Nigde, and Kayseri. However, most people only visit a small portion of the region, including Göreme National Park in the Nevsehir province.

The region was formed millions of years ago due to the eruptions of three volcanoes, and has since been shaped by erosion and human activity. Cappadocia’s history dates back to the Hittite period in the 2nd millennium BC. Over the years it has been inhabited by many civilizations, such as the Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans. It was also an early center of Christianity.

Today, Cappadocia is a popular tourist destination, with many people arriving here to hike through the fairy chimneys, visit historical sites and, of course, ride in a hot air balloon.

How to Spend 3 Days in Cappadocia

Day 1: Hot Air Balloons at Sunrise and Hiking in Cappadocia

Early Morning: Watch the Hot Air Balloons at Sunrise

What better way to start your 3 days in Cappadocia than by watching hundreds of hot air balloons fill up the sky at sunrise. Check when the sunrise is during your visit and set an early alarm. We’re pretty sure that you’ll be booking a hotel with a balcony or rooftop like we did, and from there you’ll be able to fully enjoy this unforgettable experience. We didn’t realise just how close the hot air balloons can fly past the hotels. We saw many smiles from the baskets, which made us even more excited for our flight.

Now, there are also plenty of hot air balloon viewpoints you can hike up to if you wish. You’d need to get up even earlier, but it’ll be worth the effort. There are also plenty of tours that take you on sunrise photoshoots too. Some of them looked kind of cool, like this classic car shoot, or a bit cheesy, like the flying dress shoot that’s become so popular at many photogenic locations around the world.

Late Morning: Walk Around Göreme and Take Photos at Galerie Ikman Carpet Shop

Once you’ve had a traditional Turkish breakfast at your hotel, go on a short stroll around Göreme. We’re not going to lie, the streets of Göreme didn’t exactly blow us away. We think the town is more picturesque from a balcony or rooftop, where you can see your surroundings. However, we still enjoyed taking a quick stroll around the streets and checking out some of the souvenir shops.

As you might imagine, there are a few carpet shops in Göreme too. One of the biggest and most popular ones is Galerie Ikman. It’s popular because the friendly owner has created a picturesque area where visitors can come and take creative photos with the carpets. Of course, you’ll have to pay a fee to take photos, but we think it’s absolutely fair. If you do end up buying a carpet, then of course you won’t need to pay for the photos.

Afternoon: Pigeon Valley – Uchisar Castle – White Valley – Love Valley Hike

Once you’ve seen the highlights of Göreme, it’s time to explore the surrounding area. If you’ve read some of our guides before, you’ll know that we love hiking, so we definitely wanted to see Cappadocia on foot.

The region is home to many valleys and hiking trails, so even spending 5 days there wasn’t enough to walk them all. However, there are a few popular ones that you can squeeze in during your 3 days in Cappadocia. One of the best hikes in Cappadocia is the Pigeon Valley to Uchisar Castle walk which then circles back to Göreme via the White and Love Valleys. The total loop is around 11.5 km long. You’ll be walking through three different valleys, some of which are home to the iconic fairy chimneys. This trail also takes you to Uchisar Castle, which is the highest point in the Cappadocia region. We wrote a detailed hiking guide that you can check out below.

Top Tip. If you don’t fancy hiking, then check out either the Red Tour or the Blue Tour, which incorporate some of these valleys into their itineraries along with additional stops. The tours normally leave around 10AM and get you back to your hotel well before sunset.

Evening: Watch the Sunset in Göreme

Whilst sunrises in Göreme are truly magical thanks to the hot air balloons filling the sky, let’s not forget about the sunsets either. There are plenty of places you can watch them from, so the choice is completely yours. As you can imagine, there are some cool sunset tours you can join which take you to just the right spots. Probably the most popular ones we noticed were the ATV tours or the horseback riding tours.

In case you don’t want to go too far from Göreme, you can just walk up to this popular sunset viewpoint in town, which is what we ended up doing. You’ll have to pay a small access fee, but it’s worth it in our opinion.

Day 2: Hot Air Balloon Ride and Underground City

Morning: Go on a Hot Air Balloon Ride above Cappadocia

Let’s face it; the main reason people come to Cappadocia is to ride in a hot air balloon. It was definitely our initial reason too, before we realised just how amazing this landscape is if you also have a love for hiking.

Hot air balloons take off from a variety of locations each morning and fly across the valleys of Cappadocia. Prices will vary slightly depending on the season and the company. We recommend going with a reputable one such as Royal Balloon, Butterfly Balloons, Cappadocia Voyager Balloons, or Turquaz Balloons. We went with the latter and had an amazing experience.

Note. Whilst hot air balloons can fly all year round, they do sometimes get cancelled due to bad weather conditions. Therefore, we recommend booking your flight earlier on in your stay. That way, even if you get a cancellation, you’ll still have time to rearrange for the next morning.

Book your hot air balloon ride here.

Late Morning / Afternoon: Visit an Underground City with the Green Tour

Cappadocia isn’t just popular because of hot air balloons and fairy chimneys. There are also many underground cities that draw people from all over the world to the region. Therefore, you should consider adding a visit to at least one of them to your 3 days in Cappadocia itinerary.

Without going too deep into the history of these cities, it’s worth highlighting some interesting facts about them. Apparently, there are around 200 underground cities in the region and their histories date back to the 7th century BC. Most researchers agree that these underground cities served as temporary shelter from invaders. The biggest ones could provide refuge for around 20,000 people, their food and livestock which is insane!

Two of the most visited underground cities are Derinkuyu and Kaymakli. Since they’re located further outside of Göreme, unless you have a hire car, it’s best to join a tour to visit them. The Blue Tour visits Kaymakli, whereas the Green Tour visits Derinkuyu Underground City. The latter is the widest and deepest one you can visit, therefore we opted for the Green Tour. This tour also includes a visit to the beautiful Ihlara Valley and a short stop at the Selime Monastery.

Good to Know! Most tours leave around 10AM, which means that you’ll have plenty of time to get back from your hot air balloon ride and have a second breakfast at your hotel before heading out.

Evening: Watch the Sunset in Göreme

We highly recommend experiencing every single sunset during your 3 days in Cappadocia. As mentioned above, the number of sunset spots is endless. As always, you can also join a fun, dedicated sunset tour.

Day 3: Hot Air Balloons at Sunrise and Hiking in Cappadocia

Early Morning: Watch the Hot Air Balloons at Sunrise

We get that you might be craving a good lie in after getting up super early two mornings in a row. However, we encourage you to set that alarm early again to watch one last incredible sunrise during your 3 days in Cappadocia. After all, this might be your last chance to see it unless you’re planning on returning in the future.

Late Morning / Afternoon: Göreme Open Air Museum – Red and Rose Valley – Cavusin Hike

Now, it’s time to put your hiking shoes back on again and explore more of Cappadocia’s unique valleys on foot. This time you should go north east of Göreme and visit some of the most popular places in the vicinity.

We planned a hike that allowed us to stop at Göreme Open Air Museum first. This museum has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1984. It contains some of the finest rock-cut churches in the area, with beautifully preserved frescoes inside.

Then, we carried on towards the Rose and Red Valleys. Although we completely missed it, we recommend walking along Meskendir Valley first, before joining the Red Valley to take you up to the popular Red Valley Sunset Viewpoint. From there, just follow the Rose Valley trail which eventually passes Hacli Church, another beautiful rock-cut church in this area. Once in Cavusin, visit the Church of St. John the Baptist and Cavusin Castle, two of the main attractions in this small village.

If you want to extend your hike a bit further, then from Cavusin follow the path towards Pasabag Valley and then to Zelve Open Air Museum. The total distance of this particular trail is around 13km. From Zelve, you can take the dolmus, or minibus, back to Göreme.

Evening: Watch the Sunset

If you’re leaving the next morning, then we recommend picking another spot around Göreme to watch the sunset from. It’s really the best way to end your 3 days in Cappadocia.

How to Get to Cappadocia

By Flying. The two closest airports to Göreme in Cappadocia are Kayseri Erkilet Airport (ASR) and Nevsehir Kapadokya Airport (NAV). Although the latter is much closer to Göreme, the only direct flight to there is from Istanbul. However, you can fly direct to Kayseri Airport from a few cities in Europe.

By Public Buses. If you’re already in the country, then travelling by bus is normally more affordable and better for the environment than flying. You can reach Göreme in Cappadocia from many major tourist destinations such as Istanbul, Selcuk, Pamukkale (Denizli), Fethiye and Antalya. Our go-to websites for checking bus operators, timetables and ticket prices are either Busbud or Flixbus.

By Car. If you’re up for a road-trip, then you can always hire a car and drive all the way to Göreme in Cappadocia.

By Train. The closest place to travel to by train is Kayseri. See the TCDD’s website for train times and routes, although note that you’ll likely need to change a few times depending on where you’re coming from.

How to Get Around Cappadocia

There are multiple ways to get around Cappadocia, depending on where you’re staying, what you want to do and how long you’re staying for.

1. Hiking. If you love the outdoors, then without doubt the best way to see Cappadocia in 3 days is by hiking. There are many stunning hiking trails crisscrossing the area, which we’ve detailed further in our Cappadocia hiking guide.
2. Rent a Car. The easiest way to see a lot of Cappadocia. You won’t have to rely on tours or your feet to take you places. You can also visit destinations located a bit further afield much more easily. Hire a car using this company.
3. Taxi. If you don’t want to rent a car, but still want to visit places independently, taxis might be a good option for you. This will allow you to visit a place at your own convenience, and you might be able to avoid the crowds by beating the tour groups.
4. Public Bus. Luckily, the main towns in Cappadocia are connected by minibuses (dolmus). This is definitely the most affordable way to travel between places. You can always take a public bus to a certain location and then hike back, or vice-versa.
5. Organised Tours. 3 days in Cappadocia is quite a short amount of time, and if you don’t fancy hiking everywhere or hiring a car, then the best way to get around is by using tours. You’ll still be able to see lots of places without worrying about how to get there on your own. Having a guide is also beneficial because you’ll be able to learn more about the history and people of this area. Most tours include lunch and some entry fees, so they’ll likely work out slightly cheaper than renting a car.

We used a mix of the transport options listed above including hiking, local buses and organised tours. Although we didn’t hire a car, it would’ve been quite useful to be able to travel further afield without tours.

Where to Stay in Cappadocia

Most first-time visitors tend not to realise that Cappadocia isn’t just one dot on the map. As we said at the start, it’s a massive region in Anatolia. However, most people only visit a small section of it, mainly around Göreme National Park. So, where to stay then? There are about 5 different towns close to each other you can consider staying in.

Göreme

Göreme is hands down the most popular place to base yourself in Cappadocia. It’s close to many hot air balloon viewpoints and has some incredible hotels where you can watch them from a roof terrace. There are also plenty of cafes, restaurants and tour operators based in Göreme.

We stayed at the Travel Inn Cave Hotel, which isn’t the most popular place but it had multiple terraces where we could watch the hot air balloons from. Other popular hotel options are the Sultan Cave Suites or Mithra Cave Hotel.

Uchisar

Another great town to stay in in Cappadocia is Uchisar. It’s located about 4km to the southwest of Göreme (we actually hiked there one day via the Pigeon Valley). It also has some great accommodations, as well as fantastic views of the surrounding landscape. You can go on a few other hiking trails from there, such as the White Valley and Love Valley trail.

Some lovely hotels you can stay at are: Alice in Cappadocia, Cappadocia Fairy Chimneys Selfie Cave Hotels, Ahiyan Hotel and the Rox Cappadocia.

Cavusin

You could also consider booking your stay in Cavusin, located about 4km to the north of Göreme. It’s definitely one of the quieter places to stay, but you’ll have access to many popular hiking routes, such as the Red, Rose and Pasabag Valley trails.

Some great hotel options in Cavusin are the Atax Cave House, Daphne Cave Hotel, Heritage Cave Inn Hotel and Seki Cave Suites.

Ortahisar and Ürgüp

The last two towns you may want to check out are Ortahisar and Ürgüp. Ortahisar is located about 6km from Göreme, whereas Ürgüp is nearly 10km away. Accommodations here tend to be a bit cheaper than in Göreme, although you’ll be further from the main attractions. That being said, Ortahisar isn’t too far from the trailhead to the Meskendir Valley, from where you can also hike to the Red and Rose Valleys.

Where to Eat in Cappadocia

Being a touristy destination, there’s plenty of places to eat, especially in Göreme. Below we’ve listed a couple of places you could try out.

• Breakfast at your hotel. We recommend booking a hotel that serves a tasty Turkish Breakfast during your stay.
• Cappadocian Cuisine. They serve some traditional Testi Kebabs, or Pottery Kebabs. We ate here multiple times.
• Namaste India. Serves some really yummy Indian food.
• India Gate Indian Restaurant. Also serves some nice Indian food.
• Center Coffee & Baklava. A nice cafe where you can get some traditional Turkish desserts.

Best Time to Visit Cappadocia

You can visit Cappadocia all year round but there are better and slightly worse times, depending on what experience you’re after.

Spring is a great time to visit thanks to the pleasant temperatures and lower crowds. This also means that prices are slightly lower than in the peak season, and accommodations don’t get booked up super quickly. The weather is also ideal for hot air balloon rides, with less chance of them being cancelled.

Summer is going to be the peak season in Cappadocia. The temperatures are high, so if you’re planning on hiking a lot, make sure to come prepared with a lot of water and SPF. Prices tend to be higher at this time too, and we recommend booking your stay way in advance to get a good deal.

Autumn will be similar to spring, meaning slightly less crowds and milder temperatures. We visited in September and it was still pretty hot. Just note that the later you visit, the more chance there is that the weather conditions might not be suitable for hot air balloon flights. So we suggest planning a long enough stay that you have the option to rearrange if necessary.

Winter can actually be a magical time to visit Cappadocia. Whilst it can be cold and wet, there’s the chance that you’ll be able to enjoy a winter wonderland landscape. Another pro is that there won’t be many people, and prices will be much lower during this time. Hot air balloons can still fly in winter, just make sure to book a few extra days in case they have to cancel. If we ever have the chance to return to Cappadocia, we will definitely come back in winter.

Is 3 Days in Cappadocia Enough?

3 days is probably the minimum amount of time we recommend staying in Cappadocia for, for a few reasons. One is that there’s so much more to do here than just a hot air balloon flight and taking Insta-worthy photos. If you love the outdoors and hiking, then you’ll be in paradise because there’s no shortage of hiking trails in Cappadocia. There are also plenty of other interesting places to visit further from Göreme, such as the Underground Cities. You really won’t run out of things to do!

Another reason why we recommend a minimum of 3 days is actually related to the hot air balloons. Depending on when you’re visiting, there’s a chance that your flight might get cancelled if the weather conditions aren’t suitable. Staying for a few nights will allow you to re-book your tour and avoid disappointment. In addition to flying above Cappadocia, you also want to spend at least one morning watching the sky fill up with hot air balloons during sunrise.

We spent 5 days in Cappadocia, which is definitely more than most visitors spend there. However, since we wanted to explore on foot as much as possible, 5 days felt like a sufficient amount of time to do that. So, if you’re also thinking of going there for a more outdoor focused experience, then consider adding a few extra days in Cappadocia.

Final Thoughts on 3 Days in Cappadocia Itinerary

We don’t often fall head over heels in love with popular destinations that we’ve seen one too many photos and videos of on social media. However, for the second time (the first was seeing Machu Picchu in Peru) we couldn’t help fall in love with Cappadocia. Was it busy? Yes! Was it a bit cheesy? Yes, again! But seeing most of the area on foot helped us to stay away from the Insta photo spots, and balance out the crowded places with hiking in areas where we saw nothing but fairy chimneys.

Have you ever been to Cappadocia before? If so, how long did you stay for and what did you get up to? If not, would you spend 3 days in Cappadocia? Let us know in the comments below.